The Government Accountability Office (GAO) accepted the request to study the effects of physician self-referral of advanced medical imaging and radiation therapy treatments on Medicare spending, according to a GAO spokeswoman.

The request came in the form of a letter from representatives of the Committee on Energy & Commerce, Ways & Means Committee, and Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health, backed by the American College of Radiology. (See DM12471)

"There are also concerns that the potential financial incentives associated with self-referral could lead to the over-provision of imaging and radiology oncology services," the representatives wrote. "Studies have suggested that physicians tend to be responsive to these financial incentives, and that self-referral may be a contributing factor in the rapid increase of use of these services."
ALSO NOTE: NEW SELF-REFERRAL DISCLOSURE

Although not related the GAO's work, it's important to be aware of a new informed consent requirement of health care reform: One of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, effective immediately, requires that all medical practices that provide CT, MRI or PET to Medicare patients inform patients that these ordered services can be obtained from a person who is not the ordering physician or another physician in the practice. Physicians who fail to comply with this provision "render the service non-reimbursable," according to the provision. The provision carries a retroactive date of Jan. 1, 2010.

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